The lunar or Chinese New Year

31st January 2025

I hope that this week has been that bit easier than last week. We are all still reeling from the recent news from the Winterhill School community. You can be reassured that our colleagues at the school continue to mourn but are showing incredible resilience in their endeavours to continue to provide and offer the very best educational experiences. We stand shoulder to shoulder with all of our colleagues at Winterhill.

I thought maybe some thoughts about the astrological lunar New Year, celebrated by many Asian communities, which began on Wednesday (29th January) might be timely this week. We are now in the and will mark the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac. Across many communities, in those Asian countries and beyond as communities change, we have seen festivities which have included carnivals, family gatherings, parades, traditional foods and those pesky fireworks.

The bit that’s most interesting, when the celebrations have passed, is the concept of those born in that year having the characteristics of the attached animal. This year’s babies will be born in the year of the snake. Snake babies are often described as wise beyond their years. They’re the deep thinkers of the zodiac, known for their calm demeanour, resourcefulness and ability to analyse situations before taking action.

You’ll immediately be thinking … ‘what’s my animal?’ and ‘do the set characteristics ring true?’ The difficulty might be that others may see us in a different light to the way we see ourselves – that’s a whole different conversation! Look below for your year and associated animal and then search the associated characteristics – are they correct?

What about me? I’m the year of the goat – no comments! Am I known for my creativity, friendliness, sensitivity and nurturing qualities? Am I known for my gentle and calm nature? Am I peaceful? Do I prefer harmony in my life? Do I enjoy a quiet and comfortable existence, valuing serenity in my surroundings? Mmmmm – maybe, maybe not. For my self-esteem – no comments please!

To be truthful, I don’t buy this astrology/zodiac stuff. You can make almost everything fit or not, depending upon what you want to present or project. There is something in that self-reflection though. There’s nothing wrong with endeavoring to look at oneself; how we present to others, how we see ourselves or how we value our worth. It seems to me that a little self-reflection is healthy and can give us a sense of perspective (for the better) and it might protect us and others from indulgent behaviour. It might just protect us from the unreasonable judgements of others. It might strengthen our self-awareness. It might allow us to build some confidence.

Am I a goat? I don’t think so, although I will eat almost anything. Whatever I/you conclude, I’m certainly not the GOAT!

 ‘I don’t believe in astrology; I’m a Sagittarius and we’re sceptical.’ Arthur C. Clarke